THE ORIGIN OF HELIUM AND THE OTHER LIGHT ELEMENTS

• Abstract

• It is strongly suggested that Helium and other light elements were created mostly in burning starts and not during the events immediately after the big bang.

1. Introduction

• In the early 50’s it was thought that only isotopes of carbon and heavier elements were the result of stellar nuclear reaction. It can be shown that the lighter isotopes were also created this way.

2. 4He

• The measure stellar luminosity and energy in the universe seemed to be lower than would be expected if all the known helium was the result of hydrogen burning.
• It was speculated that the energy for stellar helium creation should in the far-infrared spectrum and that stars may have been more luminous during the early existences of the galaxies. Alternatively, there may be less helium than initially thought
• An explanation that became popular was that most of the helium in the universe was created during the big bang.
• However, support for hydrogen burning as a source of helium was strengthened when the measured energy density of the universe came close to predicted values where most helium results in hydrogen burning.
• The density of the universe can be accurately estimated by measuring the cosmic background radiation.
• The energy and density measurement support the theory that the abundance of helium is a result of hydrogen burning.

3. 6Li, 7Li, 9Be, 10B, AND 11B

• Isotopes of lithium, beryllium and boron are the result of high energy nuclear reactions protons and either carbon and oxygen
• Despite initial beliefs that another isotope of lithium was the result of the big bang, it can be shown that this isotope is also the result of stellar events.
• Lithium’s abundance in some galaxies can also be explained as a result stellar events and not the big bang.

4. D AND 3He

• Theories that not enough time has passed since the big bang to produce such an abundance of helium do not hold up when the details of stellar reactions are taken into account
• Since it is believed that helium can be found in low-mass stars, deuterium may also be found in similar amounts in low-mass stars.
• Stellar winds and flares of low-mass stars lead to the creation of deuterium.
• The energy needed to create deuterium is a fraction of what is currently available in dwarf stars.
• More dwarf stars have been found to exist. Therefore, more deuterium has been produced then originally speculated amount based on the current age of the universe.
• Much of the deuterium created early the universal time line would have been destroyed in the creation of new stars.
• It is not expected that the amount of deuterium to change smoothly over the universal time line or to be consistent from galaxy to galaxy.

5. Conclusion

• It has been shown that there is good evidence to support the production of lighter isotopes, along with heavier isotopes, in stellar reactions.

Work Cited

Burbidge, G., & Hoyle, F. (1998). The origin of helium and the other light elements. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 509(1), L1-L3.
dx.doi.org/10.1086/311756



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